Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day has always been an important day to me.  I’m Irish on my father’s side and I’ve always been a bit obsessed with Irish history.  Add to that, St. Patrick has always been one of my favorite saints.  Patrick lived a fascinating life, first going to Ireland as a slave and spending six years as a shepherd before escaping back to Britain.  He would subsequently return to Ireland as a missionary and eventually becoming one of the most influential figures in Irish history.  Admittedly, there is some debate about the exact facts of Patrick’s life.  Did Patrick really drive the snakes out of Ireland?  I have no idea but it’s a good story and certainly one worth celebrating.  I’ve spent most of my life living in the Southwest and once, in New Mexico, I nearly stepped on a freaking rattle snake so you better believe that I appreciate anyone who can drive away the snakes.

During this pandemic, I’ve noticed that, for some people, the holidays sometimes seem to run together.  When no one is going out and celebrating, it’s easy to forget what day it is.  One of the worst things about the lockdowns is the way that they’ve robbed people of anything to look forward to.  That’s one thing that I think is often overlooked.  People are not robots that can be simply reprogrammed to stay in one place or to forget about what their existence used to be like.  It takes a startling lack of empathy to fail to understand that there’s more to most people’s happiness than just going to work, come home, and doing what they’re told.

For that reason, I think it’s important to remember that today is St. Patrick’s Day!  And it’s also important to celebrate it in whatever way you feel comfortable doing. Take whatever precautions you have to take to protect yourself and your loved ones but also enjoy the day.  Celebrate the night.  Most importantly, don’t give up.  If Patrick could get the snakes out Ireland, then we can certainly survive whatever life decides to throw at us.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  May the road rise up to meet you.